Berleyguts

Great fish, Ron! Brought home the goods for st George, too! Baz

No disputing the quality of Makita, Hitachi etc. but for home use, the Ryobi One+ 18v lithium ion tools are fine, in my opinion. They are a replacement warranty (domestic, not trade), too - no waiting for it to get back from the repairers. Just take your receipt into Bunnings, get it checked out and get your replacement. I work at Bunnings and sell a lot of Ryobi power gardening equipment - the replacement warranty is a big plus and I believe the return rate is quite low in comparison to units sold. I have had a drill and an impact driver with two batteries for years Charge time is less than an hour and for the light work I do around home, I have managed fine with the two batteries. Ryobi have a wide variety of cordless tools, including the multi-function tool, which I used yesterday to rake all the grout out of the shower, including the floor (cement grout), prior to regrouting. Took me several messy hours! I couldn't imagine doing this job without it. Ryobi and AEG are owned by the same mob, Techtronic Industries. Just my two cents worth. Baz

I stayed at the van at Wisemans from Thursday arvo to Monday and it was nice to see water temps of 26-27 degrees and a bit of salt about - a few jellyfish. Well, at least there was salt about until the rains on Sunday/Monday. I didn't fish too hard - just up to 2 hour sessions around the tide changes mostly on the Thursday and Friday. As the weekend progressed, the boat traffic increased (damn I hate wake boats!) and the tide changes didn't fit around my social calendar so well (even though I was baching it - go figure!). There was a lot of mullet running and also plenty of herring about down around Laughtondale-Gunderman. I wasn't bothered much by catfish. I caught none of the usual slimy eels but I did catch a different type of eel, possibly a pike eel(?) near Del Rio. Picked up a 40cm flattie on the tide change about 8pm Thursday below Laughtondale. Got my first mud crab ever in the pot (yum!) across from the park and my mate at the park got a couple in his pot tied straight off the jetty. I had some promising readings on the sounder along the rock walls between Leets Vale and Dad's, so might be worth a go for bream. If the rain has brought too much fresh in (and probably plenty of debris with it), I'd be heading down below the ferries, catching some herring on bait jigs and putting them out for jewies on the tide changes at night. Good luck! Baz

Nice fishing, Yves, Or is it Marcel? I get you two mixed up! Baz (St George SFC)

For mono, I prefer Platypus Pretest and I like a flouro line, particularly from the beach - I find the line easier to see. I use Pretest because I fish ANSA line classes and I need to be sure it will break under or at the line class, Cheers, Baz

Hi TommyRuff, Your Butterworth FishHunter MT7144 is a multi-taper 7 wrap rod, 144 inches (12 feet) long. Length is the blank length excluding any wooden sand spike. They are a good hollow fibreglass rod and were very popular in the 80s at least. I have a MT8144 and a MT8120 (8 wraps and 12ft and 10ft respectively). They are great for the beach, although I find the MT8144, paired with a 6 1/2 inch Alvey a little heavy for me. The 8120 paired with an eggbeater or overhead reel is more manageable. Butterworth was a highly respected Australian rod manufacturer. I believe they later became Snyderglas, as I also have a MT5120 Snyderglas, paired with a 5 inch Alvey. The first rod I ever built was on a Butterworth FMT72L blank (fast multi-taper, 72 inches long) and I later bought a Snyderglas FMT72L and they are essentially the same. They are a nice light spin stick and I have caught everything from trout, bream and bass, to small kings and striped tuna on them. I can't tell you much about the reel but you may be able to clean it up and hone the washers on a bit of fine wet & dry paper on a sheet of glass. Baz

I see a few recent posts enquiring about charters in Fiji so, as I haven't heard anything from anyone, I'll bump this if that's OK. Anyone with any suggestions for a short sportfishing charter out of Fiji, Vanuatu or New Caledonia, please send me a PM. The ports we are visiting will be: Lifou, New Caledonia; Vila, Vanuatu; Port Denarau, Suva, Savusavu & Dravini Island, Fiji; & Noumea, New Caledonia. Thanks in advance, Baz

I suspect it means they won't be opening the bridge in that time. Surely small boats can pass under! Baz

My wife and I are going on a 2 week cruise in the South Pacific in October and I am hoping I can organize a short sportfishing charter on one of the days we are in port - probably Fiji. I'd value any recommendations from any raiders who have done this. Answers by PM please. Thanks, Baz

Is that the main ferry at Wisemans???!!! Holy floating debris, Batman! You could ride that stuff down the river! Baz

I always use 98 in my outboard (Yamaha, not an ETEC) and in my car. It's better for the engines and more economical in the long run. Baz

There is still a lot of fresh up at Wisemans. I fished on Friday - headed from my van down to below the ferry to catch the morning tide change (top of tide), down towards Laughtondale. I fished a creek mouth and for the first time in a long time I did NOT catch a catfish or an eel! I caught all the species I wanted, although all undersized or just on legal so I released them - 2 bream, 1 flathead, 1 estuary perch (my first), 1 jew. I fished the afternoon tide change (bottom of tide) up around Dad's Corner and got a bloody eel! I'm going to stick with below the ferries! Baz

I'm pretty sure I have one left in the large size, in pink, but I think it's missing a bib. The medium size caught me plenty of fish - great lures! Baz

Flathead - ate it. Home made lure made from my sister's red tooth brush (mine was blue and too shaggy). Cut the bristle end off, drilled a hole in each end, glued a small piece of lead to it, fitted two split rings and a treble hook. Botany Bay, from the shore at Dolls Point. Probably 1969/1970. After that, Wonder Wobblers became the go. Then I got my first bass on a green rubber Flopy from the shore in Cattai Creek while on a scout camp c. 1973. Baz

Thanks all. I think I'll try Mooney Mooney this time because I want to check out the bridges and I'll try Apple Tree Bay another time (but I might change my mind on Thursday morning!). Cheers, Baz

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind, too. It looks like it would take me longer than 20 mins though. I would probably only sit on about 18 knots, although I can do 22 knots at WOT if the tide and wind are right. Baz

Thanks. Mooney Mooney it is then. I can check out Parsley Bay from the water if necessary! Cheers, Baz

Hi, I have Thursday off work (first week of new job and week days off are new to me...) and, tired of dragging my boat through peak hour traffic from Quakers Hill to my old stamping grounds of Georges River, Botany Bay or Port Hacking, I thought I might try what looks like a more leisurely drive to give the lower Hawkesbury/Broken Bay a try. I am a complete novice on the Hawkesbury system, having only fished the upper Hawkes around Wisemans Ferry, with limited success. Which would be the best ramp to use? Mooney Mooney or Parsley Bay? Is it worth the drive back over the bridge to get to Parsley Bay? Does it save much time launching there rather there rather than boating down from Mooney Mooney to fish say Juno Point, Flint & Steel, Lion Island? Boat is a 4m Stacer runabout with a Yamaha 25hp two-stroke and I'd be launching and retrieving on my own... unless anyone wants to come along and lend some expertise on the area. Baz

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Hear, hear! Baz

I fish to de-stress. I just love being out on or near the water and I really don't care if I catch fish or not! I just forget about all my worries when I am on the water! The funny thing is, a random lady who claims she is moderately psychic, gave me an impromptu reading on Friday night in the city after coming out of the John Edward show! She said, in front of my wife, "my spirit guides are telling me you need to go fishing"... works for me! So, I went on Tuesday! Baz

Sure, the brand is AXIS. Google "Axis PFD" and you will get their site where you can download the service check forms. I bought mine at a chandlers for under $100 I think. Baz

My auto inflatable PFD can be self-tested. You just need to perform the checks yearly, date and sign the sheet and have it available for inspection. I keep mine in a plastic sleeve inside my waterproof safety grab bag. Baz

I was lazing back in the seat in my runabout on the Georges River near Tom Uglys Bridge yesterday and Maritime approached. I stood up and waved, they saw I had an inflatable PFD on, waved back and didn't bother annoying me further. They then headed over to a tinny with 2 blokes on board, who had to dig out their lifekjackets and show their boat licence. I fell 100% comfortable with the inflatable PFD on now and wear it all times. I have 4 Type 1 jackets under the bow but they are the economy versions and not very comfortable. My wife has bought a Type 2 that is quite stylish and she will wear it when she comes out in the boat on the upper Hawkesbury. Baz

Here's my two cents worth... I wrote these lyrics to the tune of Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag, which was a Vietnam protest song in the Woodstock era, by Country Joe McDonald. If you don't know it, look it up on YouTube! The Carbon Tax Rag Lyrics by "Berleyguts" Music by Country Joe McDonald (Sung to the tune of "Feel Like I'm Fixin to Die Rag" by Country Joe & the Fish) Come on all you women and men Your country needs your help again The pollies say we're in a fix And everyone needs to do their bit, so Tighten your belts, disregard the facts, there's Gonna be a carbon tax! Chorus: And it's one, two, three, what are we working for? Don't ask me they've lost the plot, they just wanna tax the lot And it's five, six, seven, they're gonna regulate Don't sit back, don't you relax, we've gotta fight this carbon tax! Come on Julia, don't act dumb About the global warming conundrum You made a scene, paired with the Greens I guess you just weren't as you seemed You say you had to compromise But it's still just a pack of lies! Chorus Come on people, everyone Global warming's gotta be undone Forget your cars, get on your bikes We're heading for a big tax hike But we're gonna lose the shirts off our backs If we settle for a carbon tax! Chorus Come on leaders, don't be dense A carbon tax just makes no sense The way to get emissions reduced Is to get incentives introduced Open your eyes, don't penalise You might win a Nobel prize! Chorus Cheers, Baz